Non-woven, sponge laminated cloth

ABSTRACT

A heavy duty scouring cloth suitable for cleaning, dusting, or waxing, and especially adapted for use as a bathroom mat, table pad, or place mat, which includes an inner sponge layer laminated between outer non-woven fabric layers. The fabric layers are themselves formed of laminates of aligned fibers.

.......51/297 ......5l/295 X Politzer [4 1 May 15, 1973 y M. Grill,

yers are themselves [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS2,780,533 2/1957 Hurst............... 3,073,716 1l/l963 Gilchrist....3,080,688 3/1963 Primary Examiner0thell M. Simpson Attorney-Herbert S.Sylvester, Murra Norman Blumenkopf, Ronald S. Cornell, Thomas J. Corum,and Richard N. Miller l 57] ABSTRACT A heavy duty scouring clothsuitable for cleaning, dusting, or waxing, and especially adapted foruse as a bathroom mat, table pad, or place mat, which includes an innersponge layer laminated between outer nonwoven fabric layers. The fabricla formed of laminates of aligned fibers.

7 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures CLOTH [75] Inventors: Henry P. Furgal,Bernardsville; Pasquale J. Falivene; Cesare N. Marchesani, both of UnionCity, all of NJ.

Colgate-Palmolive Company, New York, N.Y.

Apr. 14, 1971 Appl. No.: 134,003

/a/lfl fl/a/f/i/ United States Patent [1 1 Furgalet a1.

[54] NON-WOVEN, SPONGE LAMINATED [73] Assignee:

[22] Filed:

52 U.S.Cl.

[58] Field0fSearch...........

NON-WOVEN, SPONGE LAMINATED CLOTH This invention relates to a heavy dutyscouring cloth for use as a cleaning, dusting, or waxing device.

In the past, various types of laminated scouring pads have beenfabricated. Generally, these included the concept of bonding a cloth toa rather thick sponge preferably on one side thereof. However, both therelatively thick sponges and woven fabrics are not sufficientlyresilient and flexible and the woven fabrics generally are not inthemselves sufficiently absorbent or porous to be satisfactory for useas a contact surface of a sponge. Various types of non-woven fabricshave appeared on the market, one of which is sold under the trademarkHandi Wipes. The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of theprior art cleansing devices by utilizing the concept of bonding anon-woven fabric of this type which is formed of laminates of alignedfibers, to a polyurethane foam sponge in a manner wherein the non-wovenfabric provides for a highly effective scouring surface which is alsoquite absorbent. Further, the non-woven fabric is sufficiently porous topermit abrasive material to pass therethrough and to provide a highlyeffective scouring surface as may be so desired.

It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide aheavy duty scouring cloth that can be made by means of bonding arelatively thin sheet of sponge between sheets of non-woven syntheticfabric in a manner so that the resultant scouring cloth is sufficientlyflexible and resilient and highly absorbent to provide for an effectivecleansing action.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of acleansing cloth in which the sponge inner sheet may be impregnated witha detergent, wax, or the like, or may have embedded therein abrasiveparticles which extend between the fibers of the laminates of thenon-woven fabric for enhancing the scouring capabilities of thisinvention.

Yet another object of the invention resides in the provision of ascouring cloth that may be formed in the shape of a glove. It is alsowithin the concept of the invention to utilize a wax impregnated clothin the shape of a glove or mitten.

These, together with the various ancillary objects and features of thepresent invention, which will become apparent as the followingdescription proceeds, are attained by this non-woven, sponge laminatedcloth, preferred embodiments of which are illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, by way of example only, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a partial exploded perspective view illustrating the componentelements of the present invention;

FIG. 2'is a sectional detail view illustrating the construction of theinvention in a bonded condition;

FIG. 3 is a sectional detail view, similar to FIG. 2, but of a modifiedform of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a sectional detail view, similar to FIG. 2, but illustratinganother form of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a sectional detail view illustrating a further embodiment ofthe invention; and,

FIG. 6 is a perspective view with parts broken away to show other partsin detail of a glove constructed in accordance with the concepts of thisinvention.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein likereference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views,reference numeral 10 is used to generally designate a heavy dutyscouring cloth constructed in accordance with the concepts of thepresent invention. The heavy duty scouring cloth includes an inner sheet12. This sheet 12 is constructed in the form of a sponge and preferablyof polyurethane foam. The polyurethane foam is preferably of an opencell type and is highly absorbent. Outer sheets 14 and 16 of a non-wovenfabric such as the material now sold under the trade name Handi Wipes"are bonded to the innersheet 12. Each of the sheets 14 and 16 includelaminates 18, 20 and 22, 24 respectively. It is to be noted that thelaminate 18 includes discrete fibers 26 which extend parallel to eachother and other fibers 28 which extend perpendicular to the fibers 26.Likewise, laminate 20 includes fibers 30 which extend parallel to eachother and fibers 32 which extend normal to the fibers 30. The laminate20 is positioned with respect to the laminate 18 in such a manner that a45 angle is intercepted between the respective fibers 18, 20 and 30, 32.The laminates 22 and 24 have their fibers arranged in the same manner asto the laminates 18 and 20. Thus, there is constructed a heavy dutyscouring cloth which is basically very economical because it is usableand reusable and has all of the multipurpose wet cleaning uses of theothers scouring cloths, yet which will rinse particularly clean andfresh after repeated uses because of its comparatively innercomposition. The scouring cloth is soft, strong and absorbent.

In FIG. 3 there is illustrated an embodiment of the invention whereinthe sponge sheet 52 formed of polyurethane foam is sandwiched betweentwo non-woven sheets of fabric 44 and 46. The sheet 44 may be similar tothe sheet 14. However, the sheet 46 may be a nonwoven abrasive fabric ormay be similar to the sheet 16. Embedded in the sponge sheet 42 andextending between the fibers in the non-woven fabric laminates of thesheet 44 are abrasive particles 46. These abrasive particles areclampingly held between the fibers which intercept each other at theforty-five degree angles as in the manner of laminates l8 and 20 so thatthey are held in place and given a further discrete motion based on thepulling of the various portions of the non-woven sheet 44 separate anddistinct from the motion induced on the outer sheet by the user, therebyachieving an additional advantageous scouring function.

Referring now to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, an arrangement is shownwherein the sponge sheet 44 is laminated between two non-woven sheets 54and 56. The sponge is impregnated with any suitable detergent, wax, orthe like, which is dispensed by cleansing motion of the cloth when inuse. The detergent or like composition may be released upon the additionof water or other suitable fluid.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, there is illustrated a sponge sheet62 which has two non-woven sheets 64 and 66. The sheet 64 may be aparticularly absorbent type material in the form of additional spongelike composition or the like.

The glove or mitten shown in FIG. 6 is formed from a bonded laminated ofa sponge layer 78 between another sheets and 80 of a non-woven fabric.The F1- bers 74, 76, etc of the sheet 70 are arranged in the same manneras that of the sheet 20. The foam sheet 70 may be impregnated with waxor like material much in the same manner as the embodiment shown in FIG.4.

A latitude of modification, substitution and change is intended in theforegoing disclosure, and in some in stances, some features of thisinvention may be employed without a corresponding use of other features.

We claim:

1. A heavy duty scouring cloth comprising an inner relatively thin sheetof porous absorbent material, a pair of outer sheets of non-wovensynthetic fabric on the opposite side of said inner sheet bonded to saidinner sheet, each of said outer sheets including an inner and outerlaminates, each of said laminates including a first plurality ofdiscrete fibers extending parallel to each other and other discretefibers extending normal to said first plurality of fibers, the fibers ofeach laminate extending at a 45 angle to each other.

2. A heavy duty scouring cloth comprising an inner relatively thin sheetof porous absorbent material, a pair of outer sheets of non-wovensynthetic fabric on the opposite side of said inner sheet bonded to saidinner sheet, each of said outer sheets including an inner and outerlaminates, each of said laminates including a first plurality ofdiscrete fibers extending parallel to each other and other discretefibers extending normal to said first plurality of fibers, the fibers ofeach laminate extending at an acute angle to each other.

3. A scouring cloth according to claim 2, wherein said inner sheet is asponge of polyurethane foam.

4. A scouring cloth according to claim 3, wherein said inner sheet isimpregnated with a detergent.

5. A scouring cloth according to claim 4, wherein said inner sheet has aplurality of abrasive granules partially embedded therein and extendingthrough at least one of said outer sheets, the fibers in said one outersheet engaging said granules.

6. A scouring cloth according to claim 5, wherein said inner sheet isimpregnated with wax.

7. A scouring cloth according to claim 6, wherein said cloth is in theshape of a glove.

2. A heavy duty scouring cloth comprising an inner relatively thin sheetof porous absorbent material, a pair of outer sheets of non-wovensynthetic fabric on the opposite side of said inner sheet bonded to saidinner sheet, each of said outer sheets including an inner and outerlaminates, each of said laminates including a first plurality ofdiscrete fibers extending parallel to each other and other discretefibers extending normal to said first plurality of fibers, the fibers ofeach laminate extending at an acute angle to each other.
 3. A scouringcloth according to claim 2, wherein said inner sheet is a sponge ofpolyurethane foam.
 4. A scouring cloth according to claim 3, whereinsaid inner sheet is impregnated with a detergent.
 5. A scouring clothaccording to claim 4, wherein said inner sheet has a plurality ofabrasive granules partially embedded therein and extending through atleast one of said outer sheets, the fibers in said one outer sheetengaging said granules.
 6. A scouring cloth according to claim 5,wherein said inner sheet is impregnated with wax.
 7. A scouring clothaccording to claim 6, wherein said cloth is in the shape of a glove.